A New Day's Sonata
by Pocky King Windy
Summary: [Yaoi] Ran x Ken, Schuldig x Omi - A sequel to Love is Life. This time, Ran makes a move, as does Ken. How will this all end? (W: Needs JIS)(Complete)(replies readded)
1. One

A New Day's Sonata

Sequel to "Love Is Life" (^^;)

Disclaimer: The characters portrayed here belong to Project Weiß. The fanfiction is MINE! MINE! MINEEE! XD

Warning: Yaoi. If this isn't your kind of beat, please go sway to some other one. Oh, and it's RanKen too. (^^;)

Plot Cockroach: Okay, I'm a good little dude. I'll do a bit of this. Seriously, the AU-ness is driving usual stuff away. Don't we all agree that this Nagi is very OOC? This Ken is too childish? This Ran is too kindly? This Omi is too driven to play matchmaker with others? Anyway, tell me if I'm going too far off. Thanks so much for all your past support!

Note: Half in Japanese. Make sure you have JIS if you want to read the foreign text.

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One – In The Moonlight

It was already the third day from the New Year. The day had gone on well, uneventful. Of course, most of us would have reason to be overjoyed – the fact that January the third was Sir J.R.R. Tolkien's day of birth. And this year, particularly, was his eleventy-first one. I had no doubt that everyone else would be out having a good time, as my family members would. My father, though, decided to do things his way, and he spent the day working. He probably wouldn't even be back for a week.

Oh, well.

My brothers were out, and my ma was having a great old-girl time with her pals. Funny, how ladies of our society work out that way. And to think that all she resolved to do just three days ago was to lose a few pounds.

Uh, no pun intended here. That's because no matter how much sugar, sweets, candies, cakes and jellies I tend to pig out on and swallow whole, I never seem to put on any weight. Must've been all that dratted housework. Well, uh, there was a time when I put on half a gram after a pocky eating competition hosted by Nagi and his friends, one of whom threw up after eating the 60th stick, but I won, fair and square. I won't tell you how many sticks I ate, thank you.

Right. So, it was 5 p.m. when the house was practically empty… again. Oh, great. I was proclaimed the Lord of the Flies again, in which I created a brand new society that included, say, my dog, me, my stuffed toy rabbit, my stuffed toy kitten, my socks, a can of half finished soda, and a packet of half eaten biscuits kindly donated to me by my youngest brother. Hey, I didn't even touch a single one of those biscuits. Which reminds me, I have got to hoard and hide away all the winter tidbits from him. Seriously, he's fat. Really, really fat. Not good for a kid his age. Why, when I was his age, I was so gorgeous, my teachers fell in love with me. Then, when I grew up, I became a plain boy-next-door who broke up six times (including the incident when a little girl dumped me for Nagi.)

What a life.

Anyway, I was getting bored again. My social life seemed to revolve round my brand new society of said participants, but that's not the point. This time, not even Nagi was present to steal my boredom. He was out, and goodness knows what he's up to this time. Probably trying to convert yet another non-Gravitation believer into a fully-fledged madman.

Hey, at least I was able to keep my second resolution – that is to stop saying "na no da".

Aren't you guys proud of me? No? Hey! That's mean! I thought you were my supporters, na no da!

Oh, crap. Let's scratch the second resolution.

Anyway, it was dark out on the third of January, and I was bored stiff with inactivity. Hmm, maybe I should wash some dishes. Or wash some clothes. Maybe even iron, or vacuum the house, beat the carpets or wax the floors. Argh! And it wasn't even Spring yet! Besides, everything else was spick and span. I KNEW that I should have left some dishes in the sink two hours ago. But did I listen to me? Noooooo, I had to wash them and the next thing I know, I'm bored stiff with inactivity.

Happens sometimes.

Right. So now, it was eight. Time flies! The computer was on. As usual. Nothing new to that! I then realized that by being at home alone, I had the chance of scaring the old lady next door out of her skin by playing MP3's, blasting them off to kingdom come. But then again, maybe not. I'll just listen for a bit. You know, leave it on and dream about nothing in particular. Heh. I'm a normal, boring dude anyway. Listening to music is so normal. It's as normal as it can get to be as normal as normality. Just shows that I'm yet another average boy next door. Life's great that way.

The music blared on. I won't tell you what's listed, because I was hardly even listening. Then, it came. The doorbell rang.

Being alone, one had to be careful. Maybe this person out there was a thug. Or maybe it was some salesperson that needed a good slam in the face. Oh, wait, I've always been nice to salesperson. Well, that's resolution number three for Ken Hidaka. Be nasty to salespersons. They're an evil race of people who brainwashed others into buying inferior products.

Therefore, no one could blame me for peeking out quietly. But, round the door stood a surprise.

Ran.

Ran, as in, the Ran who called me up three days ago and wished me the best in life. Ran, as in the Ran whom I'd thought about for days in a row, even since the day we first met, and that Ran that I've madly written about as a crazy spoof of what I'd call a romantic piece. Really, I'm retarded.

Do I even stand a chance?

Ran was as pure and good a soul as he always was. And me? I'm an average boy next door, but no matter what everyone says, each person has got a secret to keep. I had, for one. If I'd wanted my marriage, or even a single relationship to last forever, I'd have to keep it safe. Not everyone can fully understand and sympathize with certain secrets buried deep within. To be good with words is one thing, but to tell the truth, is another.

And it's not necessarily an easy task, either.

But, well, there was Ran. He was a good man. And he was just outside my door, in the cold. Being the Ken I was, I invited him in. Now, don't think that I was up to that. Because I wasn't. I asked him in because I was me. I was a considerate, good little boy my parents were kind of proud of. Well, I may be a bit of a klutz and a ditz, as well as being a bit clumsy at times, but I suppose that's just a stage when teenagers were most awkward.

Ahem.

I sidetracked, yet again. Looks like it's incurable. Anyway, Ran stepped in. He took his coat off and… smiled. No, it wasn't predatory! Stop thinking that way! What do I look like, a submissive partner?

Ran smiled. It was that genuine kind of small smile I saw in reserved people. Small but expressive and complete. He was such a handsome man. And his eyes had never failed to hypnotize me in that way. It felt so completely like a dream in which I was always falling… have you ever experienced such a feeling? If you had, well, I suppose you'd know how I felt then.

"I'm sorry… was I interrupting anything?"

Oh, the 'interrupting' question again. He was also such a considerate person. I was beginning to have doubts on our compatibility. He was so… perfect. I feel to puny next to one so great. A compliment to my personality, indeed. I think I'd humiliate him. But luckily for me, I found my tongue then. Or Zell did. He barked happily and wagged his tail at Ran. Ran had a good effect on dogs. That was good. People who had good effect on dogs usually come with good intentions in their minds. So, he wasn't here to try his luck like Yuki. It looks like Nagi lost the bet. No pink hair for Ken!

"Uh, no…" I think I must have stuttered. Stupid, stupid Ken! Go eat your stupid head! "I was… bored anyway. Sit down, please! You want anything? Tea? Coffee? Cocoa? Milk?"

"Tea, please."

Tea. Right. So, I had something to do to keep my mind off Ran, the dashing hunk who was sitting in the guest hall.

"Sorry for that New Year's night."

Make that Ran, the dashing hunk that was standing by the kitchen doorway. Scared he heck out of me, he did. "Uh… sorry?"

"I scared you then, didn't I?"

"No… why'd you say such a thing?"

"You seem pretty edgy now, Ken," he said. Edgy? Me? I turned to look into Ran's eyes. No, I couldn't lie to someone like Ran.

"Maybe… but more likely I was confused, then."

"Confused."

"A lot of things happened in my lifetime, short as it is," I had to laugh. That was my way. But Ran was undeterred. Seriously, he's got to be the most perfect man on earth. "I didn't know what I was in for. I wanted to wait. Maybe I was afraid… you know. Like everyone is when confronted with such things."

"With Schuldig, you mean."

"With more than him."

"Ah."

There was a comfortable silence. Then it was broken with a smile. "You listen to Japanese songs?"

"Yeah. I'm a mad fan of anime."

"Suitable." He said nothing else. Then, he lifted his head. The past song had ended, and the next was beginning. It was a slow one; one I knew well, but never really paid much attention to till then. "What's the name of this one?"

"Oh…? It's called 'In The Moonlight'. Nagi offered me this piece."

"Care to dance?"

I must have gawked at him. But I heard right, all right. "Sure…"

The next few minutes can only be described as one of the most perfect in my entire life. Everything seemed to slow down. Ran's arms were warm, comforting, and so different from how I'd imagined it to be. This time, I don't believe that even words can fully describe it. Only, I can tell you that it felt safe, happy, and it was really a sanctuary. The words rolled by gently.
    
    オレンジ色月夜が来ると君の事を想い出す
    
    かっこつけたオレのセリフは他のだれかのセリフで

"So, Schuldig wasn't your first?"

I looked at Ran. Technically, yes, Schuldig could be considered my first… if it weren't for the past. I couldn't lie to Ran. No. Nobody could. "No… not really."

"Then, who was?"
    
    不意に見上げるシルエット 君の横顔を照らした
    
    淡い光は今でも

It felt so terribly stupid, but I couldn't help myself from completely breaking down. How difficult it was to live life like this. Was truth a thing to heal, or was it to destroy? But lies will only cause more pain. It was either now, or never.

"…He was my uncle."

I couldn't bear to let Ran see my tears. No. Not then. I'd hide them in his shirt first, and let him push it all away. They usually did. Except maybe Schuldig, who fully understood. He was also one of the most perfect people on earth. And there was also Nagi, who knew how to deal with everything. My family knew nothing. And they will continue to know nothing.

"Was it consensual then?" I think I might have heard a pause then, but who am I kidding?

"No… but yes, later on. He is, after all, my uncle," I feel shocked now that I'd replied that way. But it was all too true. I don't regret saying it. And I still don't. "He just… didn't love me that way."
    
    何をまってる　君はいない部屋
    
    時計だけが足音のように　眠れない胸にひびく
    
    今も待ってる　一人止まってる
    
    二人見たあの日の月を　今どこで君は見てる

To my surprise, Ran hadn't pushed me away, as I'd expected him to. In fact, he seemed to pull us closer. Our dance steps were no longer in sync to Kotani's voice, but we were definitely still moving. My head had spun then.

"I'll repeat my words again," I vaguely heard him say; "I remember what I said to you on the first day we met. And I'll say it again. I don't understand, Ken. I don't. I can't understand how he could simply let someone so giving go. But I'm glad he did."

I looked up. Those last words were more of a shock than anything else. But they weren't his last, it seemed.
    
    オレのしぐさ真似て笑った　君の声も想い出す
    
    君と歩く夜のシーンは　オレンジ色フォトグラフ
    
    影に落とした嘘とオレのわがままを許した
    
    君の涙が今でも

"Because if he hadn't, I'd never have found you."
    
    何も言わずに時は流れる
    
    やがて来る朝の日差しにとける溶けるように空に消える
    
    最後の夜はどこにもなくて
    
    置き去りのオレの心を月だけが今も見てる

Our kiss was as chaste as the first, and the second. It was sweet beyond memory, and lasted only a few seconds, that itself felt like forever. Before long, the song had ended, and the five minutes spent had felt like an eternity, and that it would last us a lifetime. The next song had started, but we were still dancing slowly, though the pace for this next one was quite fast. I never heard the words to this next one; I couldn't even decipher it. But that doesn't matter. All that matters is that I'd finally found a place in which I belonged.

We may not have danced in the moonlight, but we had danced to the moonlight.

~*~ End Part One ~*~

Note: I think that song lasted for more than five minutes? As far as I recall, that was what some people told me… Oh, well, time flies when you're having fun! … Hey, I think I'll label this song as my favorite now. I don't have to tell us all why, do I? XD

PS: For all those who have been abused and don't agree on my bouncing back THAT easily, well, let's just say that all of us respond to this kind of stuff differently. To me, scars only linger as long as I'll let it. I found it easier to smile and laugh it off, and to forgive and forget. Odd as it may seem, that's the way I work my stress off. What's done is done, after all. But all the same, I'll wish you the best. I hope that you'll be able to sort it out your way, and not let it ruin your life.

FAQ: How do I make my love life sound so… out of a romance novel? That's easy. Here's a hint to all who want to novelize their life – choose only the parts you believe is the nicest, and most comforting, in which it touches you most. Then use sweet, epic words to describe them. Notice that I skipped certain days, hours, or even time. Yes, I have secretly read my ma's romance novels. Deal.

FAQ: You don't see me in Lists? No, I hardly join any lists. I was a part of one or two before, but not many, and I've dropped to one, and one more for a site update. The reason why? I don't join them because I'll end up a thorn amongst the roses. The lists are filled with very wise fan girls, and practically almost no guys. I feel bad, intruding on female privacy. Hey, guys think differently too. I'm too stupid and boring anyway. (^^;) Heh.


	2. Two

A New Day's Sonata

Disclaimer: The characters portrayed here belong to Project Weiß. The fanfiction belongs to Windy. He's evil. Know that.

Warning: Yaoi. Evilness. Need I say more? Oh, and if this isn't your cup of coffee, go visit another café.

Plot Cockroach: I'll admit that I can't make a decent pot of coffee. I don't drink coffee, and I'll never know what coffee tastes like… err, except vaguely from cakes, maybe, na no da. Oh, well. This piece is pretty pointless and short, just thought I'd write it although no Ran in the picture yet. …I'm beginning to get too attached. Ah, well.

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Two – Coffee And Tea

Right. So, what happened the last time? The last time, I had had a good time slow dancing with some hunk called Ran. He left before meeting my ma. But that's okay. At least we all know that Ran is a great person, with a great attitude, and most of all, he's a very selfless person. He's more selfless than I'll ever be, besides.

That was roughly about three days or so ago. I think I might just learn to stop counting and get on with life. But well, three days later from that day, Nagi walked in with a large parcel in his hand. He hadn't even bothered to knock. Nope. He just swung the door open, grinned at me in his Nagi-like way and took his coat off.

The look on his face spelt trouble.

T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

You could see it in his adorable Nagi-like eyes. Somehow, beneath that cute and sweet little smile, he's downright evil. Too bad he wasn't blond and influential though. Could be useful if he were.

"Hey, Nagi-kins."

"Hey, KenKenKen."

No show of annoyance on his face? Now, _that_ was scary. "…Err… Nagi?"

"Yes?"

He was the Tooth Fairy's dream come true. Perfect, sparkling white teeth, aligned beautifully in a perfect row. Wow. And they'd never thought of him as to being able to flank in second to Mr. Universe. Plus, he's got that sultry Nagi-like face and look. It's like he'll bite you if you weren't careful, but you'd make yourself go all the way to be careless just to get bitten. Roughly.

I'll let you on to Nagi-kins' little secret?

He's still clean. Typical virgin boy. You know, that Ayaka type of person. He's just nastier, eviler, less faint-y and probably even smarter. For a fact, I kind of know that he hates her guts out. Call that a Shindou person. Do all Shindou people hate Ayaka? If so, then I'm definitely not a Shindou person. There's not a single 'hate' bone in my body.

A 'dislike' bone exists maybe, but let's leave that thought alone, shall we?

Sidetracked… yet again. It's now, what I believe to be an incurable thing in life.

So, Nagi was here, and he looked really determinedly evil. I timidly stared at his parcel. "…Nagi?"

"Yes?"

"What's that in that… bag?"

Without a word, he dragged me to my room and settled us down, locking the door behind him. And all the while, he wore that weird smile of his. Out of the bag, he pulled out a dark blue jacket. Pretty, very nice to look at. Then, he pulled out a pale blue tank top. Whoa, eye-catching. Next, a pair of very short shorts. Was he even allowed to wear such things? But they did look great. Same color as that of the jacket. Dark denim blue, we call it. Nagi sat still and pointed to them.

"Try them on."

What?

"Go on. Try them on."

I looked at the shorts in disbelieve. But Nagi looked frighteningly malevolent. "I said, TRY THEM ON."

"Fine!" I walked to the closet with those pathetic excuses for clothes. It was cold, damn it! Anyone could see that it was cold. It was practically freezing! Lamely, I peeked out at him and shook my fist at him before going into the closet. Did I mention that it was cold in there too?

Well, the clothes WERE hard to get on, especially those pants. Given, they were made to stick to your hips like… ugh, what was that again? Glue? But they were tight. Very. Gah! How did people wear these things? Before long, I stumbled out of the closet, my legs feeling like matchsticks in the story of the "Little Match Girl". It was cold.

"Wow. Nice," he grinned. I must've made a face. "Suits you. Really, it does."

"Right. So what are these? Your hand-me-downs?"

"Precisely. They were mine about a year ago," he quipped. "But they seem to fit you rather well. You're kind of on the small side, you know."

"The pants are killing me. I can't breathe!"

"Ah, ha, ha. But I'm not done yet. Put this on."

What was that? A garbage bag? I looked at it owlishly. And then I blinked. I knew I did. But all the same, I decided to humor poor little Nagi. I put it on. Turned out to be some sort of large stained overcoat. New fashion, maybe.

"Right." Nagi emptied the last of the bag out. To my horror…

PINK HAIR-DYE!

"What the heck???"

"Well, you lost the bet."

"WHAT?? He didn't try anything! You're mistaken!" I tried to scramble away from Nagi, but for a kid his size, that was actually slim and smallish, he had one heck of a vice-grip.

"Oh, no, you don't!" he smirked. I saw it through the mirror. The Nagi trademark. Only it was eviler this time. "I questioned Schu just yesterday. I asked about your culinary skills. Sure, you cook well. But HAH! Coffee. My brother told me that you make one of the worst coffees he's ever, EVER tasted. He said that it tasted like bleach. Or tap water cured from the sewer…"

ARGHDAMNSCHULDIGTOHELL!

"…And so I figured that you'd lost the bet, because Shuichi couldn't make a decent pot of coffee either!"

"But this… THERE'RE MILLIONS OF OTHERS IN THE WORLD WHO CAN'T MAKE GOOD COFFEE! DYE _THEIR_ HAIR PINK!"

Right. So, I was locked in my own room with a rabid Shuichi fanatic with no outside help available. And he was out to make me a living one. And this is all because I couldn't make a decent pot of coffee. Oh, woe is I! Why didn't I learn to make a decent cup of coffee when I was dating Schuldig? Stupid, stupid Ken! Go eat your stupid head!

"Wait! Stop!" He stopped. "If you dye my hair pink, Ran will never look my way again. He'd dump me, hard. Then, all the RanKen fans will strip you and drip hot wax onto your naked butt. And then, I'll be so heartbroken, I'll jump off my room window and die in the cold, cold snow… and –"

"He won't leave you."

"Ah?"

Nagi settled down again, the bottle in his hands, flipping it nonchalantly. "Do you think I'm actually stupid enough not to plan this out? I'm Nagi, damn you! I'm a prodigal genius. In fact, I called Ran up yesterday (after reading your fic, that is), and I asked him if he'd leave you if your hair color turned pink. Sure, he must've gawked for a while, 'cause the line was silent for five minutes, before he said that if he could love you for who you are, then pink hair's nothing to him."

"You mean to say…?" I think I must've shed a tear or two. He loved me for me. But then… "HEY! How'd you know his number, by the way?"

"You're SO dense! It's no wonder that pink hair suits you. I got it from Omi's phonebook, dummy!"

"Ah… He let you browse through his personal, private phonebook???"

"NO. But he's my brother-in-law, by the way. So what's the harm in getting his phonebook from the drawer?" Nagi leaned in. "It was easy to find that number. Omi had a few ticked in green ink. One was Yohji, and Ran, and then there's a backup called Bob. Simple name, but I managed to dig his picture out. He looks awesome. You know, the Tatsuha kind of guy. Most of Omi's friends are hunks. Then, there was this picture of Schu when he was younger. I almost died seeing my brother linked so closely with –"

"All right! All right! I get the picture!"

You could say that I was still a little jealous. A little. I'm thoroughly over him. Besides, I was also a little fired up that Omi had planned dates behind my back. But he's got good taste. I mean, a Tatsuha looking guy. I mean, c'mon! Ichigo Burondo for example, was also a great date. Playful, but great nonetheless. Then, there was Ran. I guess I owed him one.

"So, you agree?"

"On what?"

"Pink hair."

"NO!" I was aghast. "I won't have it. My dad will get a heart attack! I want my own color! MINE! MINNEEE!"

"Your stupid whining won't help much, you know. Makes me all the more eager to dye it pink. You know that he whines a lot, kind of like you, too, don't you?"

Stupid, stupid Ken! Go eat your stupid, stupid head! "I don't whine that often! Not unless I'm intimidated by you… or some thug!"

Nagi inched closer. He was frightening. "You know, you're more Barbie than Ken. Maybe you really ought to dye your hair pink."

Of all the insults… "BARBIE??? As in, a Barbie doll???"

"Yes. Now stay still!" Nagi's vice-grip went round myself again. And this time, he wasn't kidding. When Nagi wanted something, he'll have it. And there was no stopping him when he wanted it. I wasn't kidding about the rabbit thing either. Like I said, extremist.

The deed was done. I managed to wriggle off, but there was already one big splotch of pink dye on my hair. There was nothing else for poor Ken to do but sit down quietly whimpering and let Nagi finish his job. That was the end of Ken. Say hello to Shuichi.

Hello, Shuichi.

Narf.

Nagi looked pleased. Ah. I'll get back at him someday. That was me; I'm a giving guy. Ran said that, and he's so perfect, he's never wrong. I decided to let Nagi have his way. I did owe him one, and many, many times, too. He helped wash my hair, and soon was blowing it dry happily. Ugh, strawberry scented shampoo. Nagi must be nuts. Or maybe really willful.

I faintly heard the phone ring below. Ma picked it up, I think. She screamed at me to come down and answer it. Which I did, by the way. She must've nearly died, and gone really white when she saw me. I knew she did, because when Nagi came with me, he said, "Hello, Mrs. Hidaka*. You look really white." (Nagi always calls my ma by Mrs., followed by our surname.)

"Hey, don't look at me," I waved at her. Pink. Ridiculous. I lifted up the phone. The voice at the end of the line shocked me. It was Yohji. The Ichigo Burondo.

"Hey, so I called to say hi."

"Err, hi?"

"You wanna go out with me sometime? Say, fourish tomorrow?"

Straight to the point. He was a nice guy. How am I going to break it to him? I mean, genuinely feel… bad. Which I did.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I can make it. I mean; my FRIEND just dyed my hair pink."

There was a short silence following that sentence. "Pink? I think that's cute. Like you."

WHAT? Was the whole wide world against me? For god's sake! My hair was dyed pink by force! All everyone could say is, 'it's cute', 'it suits you', 'kawaii'??? Not even a single 'oh, my gawd, I feel sorry for you', or even a 'too bad this had to happen, man'? Nagi hadn't even apologized. He was snickering… and so was my mother.

The horror!

I wasn't concentrating on the line then. Vaguely I heard, "Mrs. Hidaka, do you like anime?"

"Why, Hon, I think it's a nice thing. Just don't watch it often," I heard the woman who looked after me from young say. I bet I heard her giggle for a bit too. "I watch Slam Dunk sometimes with my little sunny sunshine."

Right. Hear that from a woman who adored the Backstreet Boys and Westlife.

"Are you against gays, Mrs. Hidaka?"

"If I was, Hon, I'd never have let my son go out with your brother, dearie."

"Have you watched Gravitation, Mrs. Hidaka?"

"No, dearie. What's that?"

"Come with me."

They disappeared. I felt frightened then. But gingerly, I turned back to the phone. "Yohji, I have something I'd like to tell you."

"Hmm?"

"You know, you're a great person. I just…"

"Found Ran."

"Huh…?" I was aghast. So Yohji saw through me.

He laughed. "I met that guy before, and I knew that you had the hots for him. He just didn't seem to make any moves on you, and frankly, I thought I wouldn't mind trying out first. In case you didn't notice, I've also met him once before us. He knows Omi as well. We were kind of affiliated once before… just that we couldn't really remember. We didn't know each other too well then, either, before we went our separate ways. Happened quite some time ago. He's a nice guy too, real kind. Kinda stoic if you ask me, but well, if you like him, that's your life. Just wanna let you know that Yohji here likes you too, and if he ever dumps you or anything, you can hop in on me and cry your eyes out."

Wow. Another perfect man. Hmm. I felt myself torn inside out. Yohji was such a hero. Wishing me luck even though he deserved more as well.

"Thanks a lot, Yohji. I do like you too, just…"

"Just that you love Ran."

There was a comfortable but shaky silence between us. "Look, thanks for calling. Thanks for everything."

"You're welcome, my little pink headed friend. Y'know, I always thought that that was the color for you…"

"Ah, ha, ha," I could hear my voice shaking. I was getting emotional. Since when wasn't I getting emotional? But to stop myself from completely breaking down, I had to be quick. "Look, thanks… I don't know what else to say to you, Yohji. You're such a great person… though we only went out together once."

"You're flattering me here, kid. Well, kudos to ya!" there was a click and the line went dead. Slowly, I hung up and leaned against the wall. The laughter from the other room was drowned, though distantly I could hear them, with also the pounding music that came undoubtedly from the TV and speakers.

This feeling that plays its part in my life would never really be easy to decipher. The code was only too well entwined in its own game. It was a voice we all sometimes hear, like I did when I told myself to eat my stupid pink head up and save me so much trouble. Till today, no one really knows what this feeling is.

I don't recall how long I had sat down there, leaning against the wall below the phone. But I somehow knew that I had to get up and go. I got up and walked to the kitchen, pulling out a coffeepot as I did. It was time that I learnt to make a decent pot of coffee.

~*~ End Part Two ~*~

Note: I think I'm slowly but surely going insane. By the way, I'll be dyeing my hair black before my dad comes home and makes a fuss. Gawd, children these days! At least I got my own back by telling everyone here that Nagi's like AYAKA! And he's a virgin-boy. HOO HAA HA! XD

From: Rika-chanWow..I have nothing but reverence for people who've been through ordeals like those, and have moved on with their lives. I don't know how you do it...but I'm glad you were able to. You know, "In the Moonlight" is my favourite song by a male Japanese artist.. {I have a favourite song by a female Japanese artist too, and I can't decide which one I like better - so they're both tied. XP Once again, this is me being -decisionless-! @_@ } ..The lyrics are incredibly... ;__; I loved Ran in this. He sounds like the Ran that Aya-chan knows...so I don't think he's too OOC. ^.^rnI think the last line in this chap was my favourite. *^_^* You really have a way with words.

Aa. Reverence for Windy??? That's so touching. ;_; But many others face teh similar thing. Those are the ones you should have reverence for, not me. After all, I'm pretty through with it. Eh. XD Being decisionless in songs is okay! Artistes love being able to shine well enough. let's jsut say that you're impartial. That's good. Last line? Not OOC? Whoa! Hoo haa ha! (Manager: Uggggghaftewtjfrserrrtttttttt. *Broken neck*) All the same, thanks one million for reviewing and mailing!!!

From: kami-chan A romance novel you say? i'm liking this a lot more. Ken makes a great epic hero and if you're writing this based on life experiences, then you must be one hell of a nice guy. ^__^ *more huggles for you and Kumakuma-chan* And I like the little life advice at the end. Mine is sort of, "Just nod and smile" ^^;; Anyways, I loved this story, especially how Ran can just hold Ken no matter what. And I love 'In the Moonlight' (though my fav is Shining Collection) Oh wow, I just really ranted there ^^;;*waves*rnupdate soon, kay? kami-chan

Epic hero!!!! XD KenKen has always been a hero! He's such a good person! Me, nice?? Me evil, but thanks so much still, na no da! Kumakumachan says thank you for hugging. XD We says it too! Just nod and smile is a polite way of things. Very becoming, very ideal for one fair lady or guy (for everyone, not too genki, not too quiet). Good for you! Shining Collection was my favorite too (no need to say why), but suddenly was surpassed. Not that I'm complaining, na no da... ^^; Thanks for reviewing! XD

CherubKatan intruding on female privacy? *looks around* i don't see how you could be doing that. and yaay a sequel! ^__^ stay with raaaaaaan! =P you do write very well and the na no da's have gone done good windy ^_^ anyway very good sequel i want to see more

Yesh, intruding. I could do that by just being around, na no da. And thanks one million for reviewing again. I feel so evil forcing  people to do this, sigh. I decided to stay, yes, we did. This is also after all, a RanKen. Sequel was good?? 0_o Hoo haa ha! (Manager: Stop... pr--praising... stop...)

fei Oh my God. *cries* I didn't expect that to happen to Ken. Oh Gods. *cries some more and hugs you* I'm sorry. And I so dunno what I'm talking abt so excuse me while I just go cry in a corner. ^^;;

I love Ran here so so much. *sighs* Loved how he held Ken close, loved how he confessed, love how they kissed. They will stay together won't they? Loved your ending line to bits. Lovely. *hugs* Admire the way you chose to handle the unhappy things in life. It's something I have to learn (and I'd rather learn this than Science lessons. ehehe.) Anyways, please continue to write as I will definitely continue to read. Take care and dewa mata na!

Aww, we made people cry... we're so sad... Aww... ;_; But thanks all the same for your support. Means plenty to us all, it does. Don't worry for us, we're fine! XD I'm still rampantly XDing. But for that to happen to Ken, that's sad. I sincerely hope that Ran and Ken shall stay together. If we don't I'll just make an alternate ending. Aa. It'll be fine and easy to learn soon enough, so I'll wish you luck. Once again, thanks! XD

Kesshi sweetness

Thanks, but we're EVIL!! XD

Ayako But... girls wanna know! =O Wise fan girls? I mean, none of the girls can really have first hand experience with these sort of things!

Nope, but their great sense of... imagination helps us much, na no da! You're wise yourself, so I noticed. Looks like you and Nagi-kins both don't really like Ayaka much. XD But all the same, thanks a lot! You've been evily encouraging, hoo haa ha!

(Love Is Life Chapter: 4   

From: Nashi OMG! That was soo sweet, especially when Ran called, lil cheesy, but that aint a bad thing right? I cant believe i almost missed the update! yeesh! well, i take it kenken chose Ran...Yay! i love dat couple..neway, keep up the good work!)

Just thought to post this here. After all you've gone through to review, hoo ha ha! I decided to post it here. Very appreciated! XD Hey, cheesy, na no da. And you took it correctly. Thanks a lot for your encouragement! XD

Yoko-chan WHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEE! There's a sequel! There's a sequel! *dances* *ish happy* So maybe now those two can get off their butts and GET TOGETHER! *nods empathetically* Heeey, I read romance novels too. They're like a little reprive from normal life, ne? I'm waiting for Chapter 2!

WAI! XD There is!!! Yeah, they got off their butts, finally. Took us... two weeks to realize that? Reprive they are, a little, I suppose. I read those old ones. ^^; Hey, seriously, how hard it is to actually live a romantic life. But all the same, one million thanks again!

LittleIsa *glomps you * Ok I like this Ran guy! =^___^=  I like him very much, good manners, good boy! I can't wait for more of this! *hands over pocky* I'm sure we will all keep you well fed so you have no problems writing this stuff! *giggles* Oh, and by the by! *pokes you and grins* You are not stupid or boring! You write too well and have a good sense of humor! Keep it up!

*Hughugs back* Hoo haa ha! This Ran seems too good to be true for the Ran in the Aya-ish Ran. Some people say that he's colder. (^^;) *Eats happily* Say, your site link no work. I couldn't get in...! ;_; But hey! Thanks so much for your comments!

akai yuki(redsnow727) huaaaaaaaaaiiii.. wai wai waiiiiiiiiiii... here goes the unexpected....... the plot is very.. turning 180degree....it really is..rnvery enjoyable to read....

Thanks one million too! redsnow727? Is that your pen-name? I hunted it down, but me no can find... ;_; Still, 180 degrees... XD

(Love Is Life Chapter: 5                           

From: LittleIsa Awwww! Age doesnt matter! Im getting married to my Koi and hes 10 years older than me. Its not about age, its about the person making you happy. Cuz thats what is important! Its hard to find people that are perfect enough that you can actually live with them and be happy! *grins* As to this Nagi person... *hides* Hes not really THAT bad is he? Cuz he sound 

slike such a sweetie! *giggles and reminds herself that just incase she runs into him not to buy any pink hairdye* Can't wait for more writings from you!  =^_____^= Isa-chan)

Ten... ten years... o_0 Whoa! Well, that's okay, then, I suppose. I just get scared. What if he dies before me? I think I'd die early, too. ;_; Scary though, ne? But I congratulate you! Make sure you have strawberry pocky on your wedding day! XD As for this Nagi person, you've just been answered. He's that bad. Next time you see him, just remember my plight. And then, one million thanks again!


	3. Three

A New Day's Sonata

Disclaimer: The characters portrayed belong to Project Weiß. The fanfiction belongs to me. XD

Warning: Yaoi. If this isn't your type of thing, please go back! Oh, yeah. RanKen, happily.

Plot Cockroach: Me brave! 'Kuß' is German for 'kiss', right? Ah, anyway… Never mind that. I'm too stupid! Hoo haa ha!

________________________

Three: Kuß

Right. So it was Saturday, and it was early in the morning. Around, say, seven, then. It was still dark out. The house was practically silent, and there was Nagi, king of sleepovers, curled up beside us… that is, me, Kumakumachan, and Zell the dog on the floor right next to my bed. And it was cold. Cold as in, so cold you'd never want to wake up for good.

I never slept well in the night, and sometimes I'd be up at three in the morning just reading and replying mails, but that's just me. Though, Nagi never minded. He always slept through everything. He couldn't even wake up when I nudged him over to the other side. Right. Sleepover. We didn't do anything, okay? Just boy bonding!

No, not that sort of bonding!

What are you, evilly perverted?

…I should've guessed.

You really shouldn't read too much of those NC-17 fictions, you know. It's bad for health. Literally. Well, anyway, we were just comrades. Pals. We slept with no further incident. If we did, it's shouta. I'm not a shouta person. I'm a good, nice, clean little kid with a good attitude. Good boy Ken. Good boy.

Forget Barbie. It's Ken, not Barbie. Do you like Barbie? I don't.

So, the day was dawning. It was pretty stiff for a morning, but well, it was morning, and though it was dark, it was morning.

This is getting repetitive.

It was seven. I'd slept for, say, four hours? Wow. Four hours! And they said that I was an insomniac! People. How simple it is for them to judge and make decisions on others. Really. People.

Right. So, did I mention that Nagi was 'blond-ed' some time ago? It was funny, but fitting. Not that he minded it much, but revenge sure is sweet. Maybe except that he'd refused to play that someone I'd betted him on to playing, but hey, he sure looked a lot like that someone, though I suppose he chose to digress. Hmm.

Sidetracked, yet again. Will this ever end?

Anyway, I had made up my mind that morning to ASK RAN OUT. Took me plenty of courage, but hey, if I didn't make any moves, I might as well be sorry. Actually, it was Nagi's idea. And he'd bugged me to do it since a few days ago. Very errant, though that thought did brush my stupid head for some time. And, I decided to take the initiative to ask him out.

Right, ask him out.

Uh, well, I'd spent that morning trying to summon up courage. Why? I had PINK hair. Isn't that reason enough? Nagi was awake by eight, and he was busy teaching Zell tricks. For example: jumping onto my bed and getting hair all over. Well, where was I again? Ah, yeah. The courage thing. Like I said, I had to brace myself to just dial the number I had received from yours truly. Little imp. Wait till I rat on him to Omi. I'll bet his brother will fling his guitar out for good then.

Heh, heh…

But anyway, it was already forty minutes past eight. Nagi was getting restless. He lay down, his hand on his cell phone. "So…"

"What?"

"What are you waiting for?"

"Doomsday."

Nagi rolled his eyes. "Good lord, Ken! Just call him!"

"That's easy for you to say! You're not the one with PINK hair!"

"Barbie doll!"

I'd snorted then. I knew I did. Barbie! Why does everyone call me a doll? I'm not a doll! I don't LOOK like a doll! I'm a normal looking boy next-door, and the last thing I'll ever be is a hunky actor in Bay Watch. Or maybe even Barbie's boyfriend. I'm Ken, but not Barbie's Ken. Heck, I don't have that plastic quality of a look in my skin, do I? In short, I was annoyed and glared daggers at Nagi.

"Doll! Is that all –?"

"Call, call, call, CALL!"

"ALL RIGHT ALREADY!" I shouted. "Why does my love life matter so much to you, anyway?"

"I'm bored! Besides, I want to see his reaction towards your hair…"

"Argh!" I threw my hands dramatically into the air. Normality indeed. Actually, it was Nagi who screwed my normal life up. Seriously! And to think that he was normal, like me, after all. What a psycho!

He tossed me his cell phone. "Well, here it is. It's nine already. Our stupid bickering isn't turning time back. And you have to write it out, mind you. I'm helping everyone out here. Oh, and please remember to mention that I said Ayaka is a cross dressing manipulative transvestite. That's all."

I looked at him and blinked. I fished a notepad out. "Right. Cross dressing manipulative transvestite. Ayaka. Uh, huh."

Nagi didn't buy it. "CALL, CALL, CALL!"

"Okay, okay! I haven't even planned it out yet…" I grumbled. Whoa. Wrong move. It seemed that Nagi already had. He took a list out of his pocket and smiled.

"I knew that. Here's the plan. Just go by it."

He pointedly looked over at his small white cell phone. White. How professional.

Where was I again? Oh, yeah, I had to call Ran out. I peeked at the list Nagi had handed to me. And turned white, as white as his cell phone.

"Romance in park???" I gasped. "Nagi, it's COLD out there! And what do you mean by romance, by the way?"

Nagi puckered his lips. Eww.

"Forget I asked," I waved at him. I picked up the phone and stared at it. Maybe I'd trembled a bit then. He scooted up to me, and leaned in to observe my antics. I could vaguely see his grin. He looked a lot like a miniature version of Seguchi. Scary. Really. "Do you mind?"

"What?"

"Do you mind not breathing down my neck like that?"

Nagi eased a little, grinning mischievously. "Prepare for more of that, Ken. If this fails and he leaves you, I'll personally take you by force. Just to let the fans know… a real life Yuki x Shuichi!"

"You're supposed to play as Tohma, not Yuki."

"Shut up! Don't talk back to your seme koi!" he slapped my head. Argh! He'd better watch out after this! I looked back at the phone, then at the list, and another smaller note containing Ran's number. Below it Nagi had also listed out Ran's likes and dislikes, according to what information he had dug out from his brother and in-law. He had also practically forced me to remember them by heart. No mistakes. The typical Seguchi way.

…

I was dumbfounded for a moment. Then I slowly dialed the number. There was a ringing tone.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

For –

Click! It was answered.

"Yes?"

A female voice. I was stunned. He had a girlfriend? But girlfriend or no, I had to pacify Nagi. "May I speak to Ran, please?"

"Sure. You are?"

"Ken! I'm Ken! And you?" I was sweating despite the coolness of my room. It got worse when she laughed.

"I'm Aya-chan* (*Um, let's just give her Aya-chan… as a role.)! I'm Ran's sister!" she giggled. "You must be the guy he's always raving about. He said that you're –" at that, there was a faint _"hey!"_ and a scuffling noise in the background. Another voice came through the receiver.

"Sorry, my sister loves talking to strangers. Is that you, Ken?"

"Y-Yeah…" I sounded so stupid. Stupid Ken! Go eat your stupid head and dunk it into a bucket of water! "It's okay. Siblings are like that."

_"Raaaaaaan loooovesss Keeeeeen!"_

"I agree," there had been a pause back then. "Why did you call, may I ask?"

"Well, err, I wanted to…"

"HE WANTS TO ASK YOU OUT!"

What the…? I glared at Nagi and pounded his head down. "Sorry…"

"Is that true?" Ran's voice stopped a little in what I think is disbelieve. Maybe. Can't be too sure. But it's nice to imagine; don't you think? "You want to go out with me?"

_"He does??? He DOES???"_

That was getting scary. "Yes, I do. Can you make it? About say, eleven? Walk around and…" I glanced down at the paper. "Go out to lunch, and then walk around again?" Pathetic. I couldn't tell him about the romance bit anyway. The odds are, he'd think that I'd had it all planned up.

"Lunch?"

_"Yes! He says yes!!!"_ there was a thumping noise in the background. _"Give me the phone!"_

"Look, hold for a second, please," he muttered. There was a dead silence a second later. He was back on the line again. "Yes, I can. But only on one condition."

"What is it?"

"I'll have to bring Aya along," I could hear a sigh. "I can't leave her alone at home."

_"YES YOU CAN! I'LL BE GOOD! I PROMISE! YOU'VE GOTTA KISS!"_

I must've died then, of embarrassment. But I suppose poor Ran was worse off. It was _his_ sister. "Sure, why not? You can't leave her at home alone… it's dangerous."

At that point Nagi snatched his cell phone back. "But you can leave her with me," there was a short pause. "I'm Nagi. You know, Schuldig's younger brother? Yes… yeah, that's me. No, don't worry. She'll be fine…. yeah, his mom's home. We'll look after her. What? Ten thirty? Right. Fine. Have a good time, Ran."

He ended the conversation even before I could ask for it again. Nagi had the evilest smile when he stared me down. "He's coming at ten thirty to pick you up. Your mother and I will be looking after Aya. Well, get dressed now!"

"It's only thirty-five minutes past nine! It's too early!"

"Makeup! MAKEUP!" that wasn't Nagi. That happened to be Mrs. Hidaka. My mother.

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough. I heard all of dearie's little speech."

"Conspirators! Traitor!" I shook my fist at them. But there was simply nothing to be done other than to become their lab rat at that point… or maybe a doll. How sad my life was.

Soon they were arguing about clothes.

"Blue, blue!" Nagi said, pulling out a blue jacket.

"No, dearie, white. It's more becoming of the pink hair…" the woman whom I thought loved me had her fair say. "But blue can be mixed in. see, dearie? How well this goes… it goes with the lip-gloss too."

LIP-GLOSS? Oh, Manwë! Lip-gloss!

But before I could protest, they had had me in vice grips. "Hair brush! Where's the hair brush?"

By ten twenty, I was officially Barbie-lized. It was horrible! I blanched. Maybe Ran will ditch me after this. Nagi and Mrs. Hidaka (I'm not related to her! That… MONSTER!) looked proud of their handiwork.

"Perfect," Nagi said. "Wait… where's the camera?"

"NO CAMERAS!" I was flabbergasted. Dolling up and now photographs? What was I? La femme Hidaka? "I'll make ugly faces!" I proceeded to pull really ugly ones. Just then, the doorbell rang. Nagi must have forgotten all about the camera as he rushed to answer it.

Right on time.

Ran stood in front, a pretty young girl peeking from behind. She squealed when she saw us. "Oh, goodness! You're so cute! You're Ken? You look like Tohma-chan!"

"Uh, actually, I'm Nagi. I just happened to have my hair dyed blond by an unsatisfied sore loser, and no, I'm playing Yuki, not Tohma," he looked pointedly at me. "THAT'S Ken. He's cosplaying Shuichi for us in this year's Otakon."

"No, I'm not –"

"Oh, gosh! He's also so cute! I can see why my brother rants all about him!"

Ran sighed and pushed his sister in gently. "Look, we'll be back soon, Aya. Don't worry."

"TAKE YOUR TIME!" she sounded really enthusiastic. It was creepy the way children acted that way. She's probably a rabid Yaoi fangirl. Poor thing. Her brother, I mean. We made to leave, and waved graciously back to the trio. Nagi ushered everyone in and closed the door behind him.

I turned to look at Ran, who had an unreadable expression on his face. The hair.

"Oh, um, sorry for that pink hair and all," I had to apologize. "Freaky, huh?"

"I thought he was kidding," Ran shrugged nonchalantly, a small smile already forming on his handsome features. I goggled at him. Whoa. Prince Charming. The one that Cinderella missed out.

"Turned out that he wasn't," I commented. We were walking to the car - a Mercedes shining with fervor. Whoa again. Ran was a gentleman. He'd opened the door for me to get it. I stared at him. Like I said, I'm not Barbie. I'm Ken. Maybe I _was_ a doll, but I was tougher. "Thanks."

That was lame.

Then I got in. Ran came later. He smiled for a bit. "Thank you for asking me out."

"You're welcome," I grinned. We stared at one another again.

"Where are we headed now?"

Oh. Desperately I tried to remember the list of words written out for me, but to no avail. I only remembered the 'romance in the park' part, but that was supposed to be saved for last. I gawked at him yet again. "Uh… I don't know?" I think it came out as a squeak. Lame, really. Ran was calm, though.

"Would you like to go shopping?"

Shopping? I looked at him. Pink hair?

Right. Shopping. I nodded dumbly. "Uh… sure."

The ride was uneventful. We'd exchanged small talk on the weather, on Nagi, on Aya, on household affairs, Schuldig's past, present and future and Omi's matchmaking talents (the movie date thingy). Finally, we exchanged stuff on our… normal affairs. You know, our pastimes and all.

"So, what do you like doing in your free time?" I casually asked him. He gave his usual dashing, complete, perfect small smile.

"Reading, riding at times. I hardly have much time off to myself," he replied. "And you?"

"Ah, me? Well, I err, do housework, eat, sleep, and use the computer… and write."

"Write?"

"Yes, write," I looked at him. I couldn't lie to Ran! I blushed. "Stories on the net. You know… stuff."

"Fanfiction?"

I gaped at him. "How'd you know?"

"Aya writes them too," his tone was flat, but also endearing. "She's always saying how fun it is to make cartoon characters stick to each other. I don't understand it. Perhaps you could enlighten me on it."

"Well… you see, sometimes fans get upset about certain events in a… movie, book or maybe comic. They don't like it, so they write… other events and alter it at times. Err. Roughly, it's like that," I mumbled vaguely. "As for the cartoon characters part, I suppose some fans just don't like the pairings in the said movie, book and comic, and they change it to their liking and enjoyment."

"I see," he said. What a guy. "Could we change the lunch schedule?"

"Uh, yeah… sure?" my heart must've stopped for a second.

"Sorry, I'd suddenly had a craving for donuts," he admitted. "I thought that we might spend the morning eating donuts, bagels, buns and cakes and skip lunch altogether… do you mind that?"

_NO! Of course not!_

"Um, no! It's fine," I grinned shakily.

"Thank you," I heard him say as he swung the car into some parking lot with ease. He's like a pro on that. Skilled. A real prince, that's what I meant.

And so, we spent a couple of hours snacking. It was pretty fun actually, and people gaped at us. We took our time to chat, eat, drink and eat some more. Besides, I had to kill the paranoia that was nibbling at my conscience that it wasn't 'us' the folks were staring at in amazement, rather it was 'me', clad in a weird outfit and not to mention, pink hair. Pink. Ridiculous.

"You seem to be drinking only tea."

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Trust Ran to be so observant. "Uh, yeah. I don't drink coffee…"

"There's always cocoa," he shrugged. "You don't look like you suit coffee anyway."

"Thanks." Gosh, I must've turned red. Stupid, stupid Ken! Go dunk your stupid head in the mug and eat it up already!

At that point, he stood up and nodded at me smilingly. "Let's go somewhere else. We're beginning to scare the patrons."

Right. I got up and followed him suit. Soon we had stopped at another shop. My eyes went wide. "Ice cream? In winter?"

"They serve great cakes too," Ran nodded again, and I was dragged in… kind of gently, actually. There wasn't any brute force. We settled down by the glass window, and ordered ice cream and cakes. Well, yeah, the waitress stared at us too. I tell you, it was the hair. It's always been the hair. Some girls nudged one another, and I nearly died. Seriously, I'd really, really wanted to eat my head up then. And you know what? I had to order strawberry, just to match my hair color…

And so, we were done at say, three. Wow. That's four hours of non-stop eating, drinking and yapping. To tell you the truth, I did most of the talking. He merely listened, smiled, nodded, and chipped in a bit here and there. Sounds dull, but it technically wasn't. Well, you weren't in my shoes anyway. You wouldn't know, would you? (^^;)

Now, the next leg came up. I had to follow up on Nagi's plans, by the way. I grinned at Ran. "So… would you like to go to a park? I mean; it's three now, it should be warm enough, well, um, not really, but… let's work out some sweat?"

I must've died when I heard myself say that. Work out some sweat…

"All right," he'd agreed. Wow, prince charming! He didn't even question the sweat part! We'd stopped at some random park, and gotten down for a stroll. It was still rather cold and snowy, but surprise! There were a couple of kids running around, screaming, yelling and laughing while hurling snowballs at each other. I guess the snow had gotten slushy enough. The weather was already warming up. A little. Maybe.

Well, they stopped when they caught sight of us. A kid guy pointed at my direction. "Hey, look! It's some strawberry blond – with REAL strawberries!" The others began to cheer and laugh. Argh! I shook my head and grinned. Children these days! They never respect the older ones. Not that I'm any older than they are, but hey! It's manners not to jeer and stare at others just because they're different, right?

But anyway, those little monkeys decided to take things further. Without further ado, they began hurling snowballs our way, thick and fast. Then, the end of the world came.

Ran roared. You should've heard it. It was like a savage roar of a lion – left me and a couple of the kids stunned for a moment. And then, he'd retaliated against their attack. He was worth one hundred kids. Man, he's got some arm! His aim was perfect. Snowballs bounced off him like water off a duck's back. Literally. But he wasn't savage. Didn't act savage. In fact, he was all out laughing at them and taunting them. Err; to tell you the truth, I did the same. Eh, heh, heh…

We fought really hard, with some of the kids joining our side (traitors) due to awe at Ran's great moves. Hey, even I was awed. I never expected such a gentleman to muster so much force and live, but then again, in every man's heart, there's a strong little boy within. I'd suspected that Ran loved kids. He loved his sister – it was apparent. No matter how much she'd embarrassed him at times, he still loved her. Ran was a real, true, existing Prince Charming. Too bad for Cinderella though.

The fight ended with out opposing team 'surrendering' to us. They'd waved a blue hanky on a twig. After that, everyone gathered to shake hands. They gazed at Ran with solemn awe. Then they turned to me.

"Why's your hair pink?" a little girl asked. She had two missing teeth. I tilted my head at her.

"Someone dyed it pink by force. I'd never wanted it pink."

"Oh," she said, nodding. "Well, I like my hair streaked purple. Purple's a purdy color. But momma said that only bad girls do that. Didn't your momma say that you're a bad boy too?"

"My momma was in the league," I said dryly, but I'd grinned. She grinned back with her row of nearly perfect teeth.

"Hey," another large boy pointed out. "Say, I've seen your face around before. You play football round that field over there?"

"Uh, well, sometimes," I'd shrugged. Ran looked over at us. I lifted my hands to gesture at him. "I play with the kids round my block. It was for fun. We don't apply any rules. We just tackle, and tackle, and tackle."

"And then they'd bowl him over and tickle him," the boy had a lopsided grin. "Yeah, I've seen you. My brother's Fred. He adores you. Back then your hair wasn't pink. Looked better then."

"I totally agree," I rolled my eyes. Ran choked. We stared at him. Great, so now my date was laughing at me. And it was contagious. We were roaring with laughter after a while. Then it subsided, and we'd saluted. They left, and I was left with Ran. It was nearly five.

"So," Ran lifted a brow. His usual gentlemanly self was back. "What will we do now? I do believe that we have exercised our excess sugar off."

"You wanna do dinner with me? My place?"

"I'd love to," he replied. He patted my head. Some random pieces of snow fell off. I'd blushed – it was so stupid. Felt like a kid. And yet, it was strangely warming and comforting. I don't know how to describe it, but I think it was the feeling of safety and belonging I'd always wanted to feel. And Ran had it all for me.

The sky was already darkening, though the hours were still rather early. It was winter. But in my heart, it was summer.

~*~ End Part Three ~*~

Note: Stupid ending, stupid story, stupid writing. Stupid, stupid me! Go eat your stupid head! *Kicks self*

From: Fuyukaze-Yuki Waiiii Ran's so sweet & kind!!rni love this Ran too!! so more of Ran x Ken!!

o_0 Ran's too good here??? XD But thanks one million for the comment!

Animelily Just thought I'd let you in on a bit of trivia. The same voice actor for Ken does Shuuichi's voice as well. I'm not sure if you knew that or not and wanted a little irony but there you go. Seki-san also does a whole lot of other wonderful pretty oys like Souma Kyou from Fruits Basket and Chichiri from Fushigi Yuugi.

Well, for starters, I don't know anything about 'Fruits Basket' or 'Fushigi Yugi', though, yes, I have heard some people mentioning it. No, I won't be 'converted' anymore, and well, it seems that Chris isn't interested enough to even try. But thanks for alerting me on the voice actors? Seriously, I've never thought about voice actors till now. I'm more manga driven than anything, so I suppose I know nearly almost not much on the anime series. Still, thanks one million for the comment!

CherubKatan I would like to say purple is a much better color than pink. Although pink hair would be interesting to seee! lol, although don't ever have brown hair then try to die your hair blue... it tends to turn out blackish green... ^_^ good chapter again blacks a good color to dye hair too just make sure it'll look good on you!

No, pink hair is awful. You'd look like a girl were you to have pink hair. Purple isn't my color either. ;_; But, hey, really? You tried dyeing it blue intentionally? Thanks for the tip. We thought of blue. XD They say that black is the best color to be dyed onto your hair, though, argh, it won't fit us either. Always becomes brown, or something... Thanks one million, by the way!

From: Rika-chan Awww...poor Ken-ken. ;_; *pats head* Don't worry; revenge is sweet, ne? ...Now I see how that Nagi can be truly evil. o_o Boy, when he really wants something, he goes all out -- and he doesn't stop! O_O ...And that's not fair! _

Hoo haa ha! Revenge SURE is sweet! Nagi! EVIL! *Is pat-patted* Thanks a lot for all your support, na no da! It wasn't fair, but I'm a good guy. ;_;

From: kami-chan LALLYHOOOO~! You evil? Ha, if you're evil, then I'm...Nagi. O_O I actually went around once with a can of blue hair spray ^^;; HEY! Will you dress as Shuu-chan or Ken for us? *big chibi eyes* Pweease? ^_____^ I liked this chapter a lot. ^^ Poor Ken though O_o Poor Ken's mom O_O Yohji was such a gentleman, even knowing about Ran. Though I'd like to see Ran's reaction to Ken being Shuuichi-ized. *wink* *big glomps and Strawberry Pocky for you and Kumakumachan*

jaaaa!rnkami-chan

Lalyho! XD Yes, we're evil, evil together then. Who's hair did you spray??? XD Nope, sorry, I don't wanna! Don't wanna! Ken's okay, but Shuichi's out of the question. I'm scared. He's scarily pink. But thanks for feeling sorry for us. It makes us feel better, it does. Ma's evil too. ;_; Ah, yeah, Yohji was a gentleman. He's such a man... *Chomps on pocky with rabbit* (Manager: THAT'S IT! Shoo fangirls! Don't feed the boy!) By the way, thanks one million for commenting! XD

Ayako ^____^ *does Hokuto style laugh* OHOHOHOHOHOHO!

EVIL! No feel sorry for Windy... ;_; But thanks? You commented. ;_;

Mei Lovely chapter. @.@ Am wondering what Nagi is doing with Mrs. Hidaka! The Ran part in chapter 1 was so sweet... *Starry eyes* Liked the last line with reference to the title of the song too na no da. Ni~ice. And... pink hair is good. Haha, my favorite flavor is strawberry too. Pocky-ness, baby ^-^! Once again, great chapter!

Thanks one million again for reviewing! So nice of all of yoo. ;_; Nagi was evil. He made ma fall in love with K. Aa, so, was Ran actually OOC? I thought this Ran rather was. Oh, well. Pink hair, as I digress, is scary. It's awful... except maybe on girls, or maybe on those cosplayers last year(s). Hey, yet another strawberry lover! Hoo haa ha! We're evil, na no da!

fei LOL  "blonde and influential"? You're referring to Tohma ne? And not only do Shindou pple hate Ayaka, I HATE HER TOO! *coughs and calms down* Oh man, now I can't get the pic of Ken in pink hair with that short shorts on. Hmm...*drifts off into daydream* So Ken picked Ran huh? Yohji's out of the pic? Ken loves Ran? Er gomen. Anyways, waiting for more ne? Love the humour in this as usual. Ja! ^^

Hi, and thanks one million for commenting! Hoo haa ha! Seriously, this is definitely getting into my stupid head. Anyways, yeah. We were referring to Tohma, the all evil blond king of the East. They're equally evil. In fact, he's eviler than I'd ever be. Well, try to picture Ken back to normal, please... ;_; Pink... shorts... Augh! Yeah, Ken loves Ran, and likes Yohji. Love and like is different. But Ichigo Burondo is definitely sadly out of our picture... But thanks all the same for this comment, though you think it was a mistake? Because as far as I'm concerned, this is fine!

LittleIsa WAI!!!!! *cuddles you* Pink hair? Like really really PINK hair? I had Purple once, of course that was an accident. *grins* Well I hope you got it looking normal again, though I think it would be cool to see you with pink hair!! =^____^= Anyway, I loved this chapter! I think Im really begining to like this Nagi too *giggles* Can't wait to hear more!! And what website didn't work? O_o all of them should... *grumbles* Oh, and yeah hes 10 years older, and you shouldn't be thinking about who dies first! You live and love, be happy with the time given, not worried about when its gonna be taken away! =^___^=  *purrs and hands ver 

strawberry pocky* Talk to you soon!

Err??? XD *Is cuddled* Yes, pink. As in, a dark shade of pink, but still pink. I don't know what he used, but it was strong. Purple? o_0 Accident? You have my sympathy. Let's share the pain by hugging... ;_; No, unfortunately, it won't be normal until Sunday. He was upset about the hair, though, dad I mean. But Ma's adamant about pink. She likes it, the evil woman. ;_; Aa, thanks one million for saying you like it, and for commenting? It touches us, it does, na no da! And thanks for the advice on the dying thingy, I'd always been stupid enough to think like this... Well, maybe it was my browser problem, regarding the link. We'll try again, won't we, na no da? *Chomps pocky* (Manager: Don't feed... don't feed...)

Rika-chan Ack! My review got eated up! ._

And again? XD Don't worry! Daaaaijoubu! You haaaaave maaaaaaail! XD


	4. Four

A New Day's Sonata

Disclaimer: The characters portrayed here belong to Project Weiß. I own the fanfiction written.

Warning: Yaoi, Ran x Ken. Well, and Ran x some woman, anyway.

Plot Cockroach: I never thought it'd end like this. Well, I'll try to figure an alternate ending for Ken, though, if I can. Please give me some time to patch my life up first. Anyway, please don't go blaming anyone. Blame me, if you must. I'm so officially screwed up. And I'm sorry for taking so long. I had no time to write, being working and all. This may be the last arc on my attempt on Ran Ken.

____________________

Four (Probably last): And So The Music Ceases

Three weeks had gone by since that day when I went out on a date initiated by me with Ran, and I had no regrets about what I'd experienced. Perhaps this is a part of life – part of growing up. Even throughout my life riddled with breakups, I had failed to gain so much knowledge that fire burns, and at times, the scars do last for life. But I called upon this on my own.

Well, the story goes on anyway. In that three or so weeks, a lot had changed. I was probably more worn out, stressed, tied up and nervous. But it all comes with work, and now that I look back, school had been the best time of my life. I'd smile if I could, but give me a few days, weeks or months, and then I'm sure I'd be able to do that again. Perhaps I'm finally growing up.

I hadn't had much time for love, for Ran, for my family, or for Nagi. I feel bad now, but I'm fortunate that Nagi understood. I'd be so tired when I came back on Saturday, and there were tons of housework to be done. I remember the first day I came home from work – the house was a mess! Well, no one could control the little imp of my brother into sitting still other than me, I suppose. Ma was much too gentle. She wasn't tough, and hotheaded the least, unlike me, at that point. Well, male dominance pays.

I'm not a sexist. I just happen to be the eldest sibling in the house, and I have most of the authority wielded. I'm allowed to shout when I have to. And ma… well, she's a wonderful lady. Women are wonderful people. They're kind and gentle. My littlest brother just doesn't appreciate their gentle persuasion yet.

I'll be praying hard enough to grow white hairs when he reaches sixteen.

Oh, look, I'm still able to joke! Cool, huh?

Anyway, where was I again? Can you believe that? Even after all this, I'm still sidetracking. What a nut. But that doesn't matter. I think I'd live with it for the rest of my life. It would be easier than trying to erase that habit no one is capable of, right?

Argh.

So here I am, and I'm sitting here in front of my PC, given the day off by my parents. I have them to thank that I'm still breathing, and that I have their support. My family members are out, and I'm left at home, alone, to think things out. Thinking. Has everyone forgotten that I'm almost incapable of that? Well, anyway, thinking is good at times. Probably if I'd thought more, things wouldn't have fallen so badly, huh?

I have so time now, so I might as well finish what I started. Here goes…

Three weeks had finally passed. I'd gone happily to work; done everything I could, manning the office, most of the time alone. It's fun, doing desk jobs, and speaking to clients. To think that I'd actually spent time idling, playing football, and doing chores when there was other stuff like this to be done. But then again, being at home managing stuff, and your family is probably the greatest thing in life that anyone could ask for. I'd enjoyed it. And I know you would, were you able to do that one-day.

Right, so, there was an occasion that I was asked out. Happened on Tuesday, about three days after my outing with him on Saturday. I guess. He'd called up, and asked me out to lunch. Apparently, he'd gotten the number from Nagi, matchmaker extraordinaire. I'd agreed, and we'd had a good time. However, I do believe that that would be the last date I'd ever, ever have with Ran again.

You see, that week I had extra work coming. I may be new, but she's my aunt, and I was recommended to work for her by my father. I can't skimp on work. Ran would ask me out each day starting Tuesday then, but starting Thursday (when the work came pouring in), I couldn't accept any more outings. I'd eat in the office and done paperwork at the same time. I know, it sounds vaguely like I'm doing what Brad Crawford does. Well, good for him then. Brad, that is. I wonder if that's why Schuldig's always mad at him?

Ran was nice and persistent, though. He was patient. He always was. He was such a hero and a prince, that this romance seems more like a fairy tale than a real one. Even when I was out with Schuldig, things weren't that perfect. But I'm not complaining. And I certainly don't regret it. He'd call day after day, and when I didn't accept it, apologizing profusely (as usual), he'd tell me to take care of myself. It seemed that we were becoming more awkward and distant each time we spoke. Yet, I strangely felt reassured when he'd call. His voice was calming, and it soothed me. I wanted to call him back, but I couldn't – I'd too much work to do, too many clients to deal with, and I couldn't misuse the phone service. Not then. I wasn't established enough yet. And I had to back my father's plans and his dignity. I was his eldest son. Isn't it every eldest son's job to keep the family's unity and dignity?

Well, it was mine. And to my father, that came first.

Typical Brad Crawford, now that I look back at it. Man, he even looks like Brad. I'm beginning to feel like Nagi. The real Nagi, as in the Nagi in the Weiß series. I can imagine having Brad as a mentor. He seriously was Brad. My father, I mean. But I love him. Every child loves and respects their parents. We don't admit it to ourselves sometimes, but I do believe that that's the way it should be. After all, they brought us up, cried for us, and worked for us, didn't they?

Anyway, Ran stopped calling two weeks later. I wasn't sure why at that time, but it was painful not hearing from him at that time. As for weekends, you ask? Housework, overtime, and rest. I was too tired to respond to anything, not even Nagi. But he understood. He didn't bug me. Sometimes I'd stay back in the office and work extra. My aunt appreciated it greatly, at least.

And then, it happened. On Wednesday, the third week since I'd started working, Ran suddenly called. He'd asked me out for the last time that day. It wasn't a date, technically. He had something important to tell me. I'd asked my aunt, and she was kind. Like I said, women were a kind and gentle folk. I love my aunt too, despite not really knowing her well. Um, we just met for some time. I have too many aunts…

His message was simple. "Meet me outside after work," he'd said. "I have to tell you something very important."

Right. So, I was supposed to get off at eight after everyone was done, say, three hours ago? Overtime rules. My aunt though, was in, and she told me to get off at five. What a great lady. A real life Cinderella. Don't you wish you had an aunt like her too? You know, I have another aunt, and she's really, really nice. I used to work for her too, and her time had been more flexible. I dealt with flowers then. Neat, huh? Then, she had to leave for London. Wow. What's London like, by the way? At least she's having fun there. I got a postcard last year. Pretty.

Ah, anyway, I got off work at five. Ran was outside the building, leaning against the wall. He was certainly handsome that way, too. He was always handsome. If I were a regular guy, I'd be jealous. I'm not handsome; I'm plain. But let's not look at that aspect. The only thing that matters was that Ran was there, and he had to tell me something. He favored me with his customary small smile. Ah, the same, and yet so different. Ran was hiding something, and I could guess that it was something big. I grinned at him, though.

"So, what's up?"

"The usual," he'd replied casually. "Would you like a ride back? Dinner, perhaps?"

"Thanks, for the ride, home, I mean," I'd said. I was so stupid then. Couldn't I have agreed to the dinner, and at least let Ran decide for things? No, I didn't. I'm an idiot. Always have been. And I don't suppose I'd changed much. "I… I have to get home to dinner. Ma's prepared dinner. She wants me come home. Perhaps you'd like to join us?"

"It's alright," he said kindly. "I'm fine with this plan of just escorting you home. I have to tell you something… but not here. Not now. Let's just go first."

Right. So, I got in, and he drove me home. The journey was spent with his asking how I was at work, and my asking about his life and home and Aya. Most of it was small talk. We were really getting distant. It was mechanical, usual. I don't suppose we were really that close anyway. But I was glad. I liked his voice. It was mature, calm, refined, unlike my hoots and my screech and my yells. I tell you, this man is perfect.

We stopped in front of a field. It was so white there. I remember that in summer, the grass was green and wonderful. When it rained in spring, the place was muddy and great to skid in. He got out, and beckoned me to follow. But as the gentleman he was, he opened the door for me. I guess I really was Barbie, after all. Ken, indeed.

Hah.

Well, things went by as if in slow motion, but time passed us by, very quickly. I have no idea how long this particular event lasted but it happened, all the same.

"Ken, we need to talk."

"I'm sorry," somehow, I knew that it was my fault for 'overworking'. I wasn't overworking. But it seemed to him that I did, I suppose. Maybe it was my negligence. I don't know. But whatever it was, it was tearing everything apart.

"Sorry? What are you sorry for?" he'd asked. His tone was kind, but he looked… well, worried, I think.

"I'm sorry for all this – it would seem like I'm a fully fledged white collar," I forced myself to laugh. How lame. And how right I was then. I was a white collared workaholic trying to keep up with my father and aunt's demands. Wow. So much for teen bliss!

"Well, maybe, but that isn't what counts," he'd replied compassionately. "You tried your best."

"Thanks." I felt so ashamed. I'd looked down at my hands.

"We have to… end our relationship."

I looked up again. What?

But then again, I foresaw it happening. My father acts and looks like Brad Crawford, for god's sake! I must have inherited the gift from him. And then, I'd caused all this to happen with my selfish, self-centered ways. Ignoring calls, dinners, lunches, dates… all because I was tired and wanted to rest, when I should have replied 'yes' when I could. But I hadn't. Now, wasn't that stupid?

"I'm sorry," he'd said. "Some problems arose…"

I'd laughed then. I don't know why, but I did. I wonder how I'd managed it, without shedding a tear, as usual. Maybe I'd grown up. Or maybe I'd really gotten stressed out and sick of everything.

But it felt so good to laugh again.

"That's okay. I understand."

"You haven't heard my explanation yet," he sighed. Right. I never listened, did I? But it was time I did. I nodded.

"Let's hear it, then." I have no idea what I felt then. I don't know how I looked like, what I looked like in his eyes. But Ran didn't smile. I must've looked pathetic.

"I'm getting engaged to a girl. She's my boss' daughter. She was introduced to me about three months ago, when I was working with her. She fell in love and… oh, god," he paused. "I'm sorry. Her father petitioned that we got engaged and that I took over his company. He has no other heir. And… Aya… I want her to have a normal life, Ken. She needs a straight, capable brother. I want to see to it. That I can do it."

I listened in silence. Surprise, surprise! I hadn't even screamed and gone mad. I'd just stood there, with my arms folded. I was officially turning Nagi. "Do you love her?" Great, Ken. What a wonderful question to ask! Don't you just love seeing people hurt? He said he's sorry, damn it!

"I suppose," he said. "I'm so very sorry, Ken. I really am. How am I to make this up to you?"

He'd stepped forward to hold my hands… or shoulders… or anything. But I had no mood for that. My seventh breakup. Wow, seven! I'm such a loser. I don't recall what I'd felt, but I know I'd done something I should never have done. I'd steeled myself and stepped back. I don't know (couldn't see) what my expression looked like, but I'm sure it looked horrifyingly bitter. But it felt like a smile. Was this the bitter smile I'd always read and written about?

Stupid Ken. You are SO Naoe.

I guess those tests and quizzes were right after all.

"Don't touch me."

The look on Ran's face was one of the worst I've ever seen. It looked so torn, and I still remember it. It's the only stupid thing I've done in our entire affair that I truly regret now. But it was done. I'm an absolute idiot.

"I'm sorry. Sorry for everything."

I'd calmed down again. And then, I think I'd even smiled. How cool is that? "Yeah, I know. You didn't mean it. I mean; this is for the best. At least I know we'll be alright."

He looked confused. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Tell Aya to behave herself. She's probably upset… the Yaoi-girl way," I'd laughed. Strangely, I hadn't cried. "Oh, and don't be sorry. You shouldn't be. You're also making them very happy – the girl and her father. Um, what's her name?"

"Flora."

Flora. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl. And beautiful girls are often lucky.

"Right. You're making Flora and her father happy. Don't worry, I'll be fine." I was fast becoming myself again. This was how I handled every breakup in the past, and this is the way I shall handle this one. "Look, take care, Ran. Make sure you never ever break her heart. The old man looks up to you no end, to offer his daughter to you like that. My dad was very grudging to let me go out with Schu, and even then, I'm not the best son in the world."

"No, you aren't," he'd said. "You're probably one of the best in the universe."

"Flatterer."

"Thank you very, very much, Ken," he finally spoke. "I never… expected this to be so…"

"Easy? Quick? Painless?" I laughed. "Hey, I scuffled with Schu before we broke up. Really violent. He didn't like my candid approach. You know, smiles and all. It's my way of doing things, anyway. I'd have died if Omi weren't there."

"Well, thank you, all the same," he motioned to the car. "Would you like a lift back?"

"Nah, I'll stay here for a while," I shrugged. Didn't feel like getting into a car with him anymore. Besides, I liked this field a lot. Very pretty it was, in winter. You should see it.

"Alright. Oh, and Ken?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

I'd stared at him then. Now, how am I supposed to deal with that? I grinned. "No, you don't. You love Aya, and you love your future wife. It's not for me. I understand. It's okay."

"Thank you, Ken. Goodbye."

"Bye!" I waved, and then looked at the snow as I heard the engine start and the car roll away into the distance. It was already dark. I'd turned, then walked the few blocks back to my street. But I didn't turn immediately into my house. I'd run into Schuldig's, and straight into Nagi's room without knocking. Sure, he was shocked, but he was a good source of comfort. It was only in his room and arms that I'd cried.

It was February the fourth then, on Tuesday.

And it's now Saturday, 2 a.m. in the morning. My family was out somewhere else, and I was free for the remaining day. Meaning, they were spending Friday night at another place. But that doesn't matter now. Three days had passed, and I'm recuperating. There's a vase of dried roses, once upon a time peach, right on my computer table. Each one of them had no thorns, not a single one. It's one of the reminders I have of a sweet, short, romantic memory of an affair that one-day I shall look back on and smile at.

But for now, the story ends. And yet, I know that the music of love is playing at yet another soul's doorstep, inviting them to dance.

As for me, I dance alone.

~*~ The End ~*~

Note: I'm sorry; this story seems so short. I wish I could write an alternate ending for Ken, but I don't think I really can. Could anyone help me, please? By the way, this 'ex' of mine has another sibling other than 'Aya-chan', but since they're closer, I omitted the last sibling to make him sound more Ran-like. Just so you know. :D

From: kami-chan First year of high school in English class! We played a game and split into teams. If you lost, you got your hair dyed.  But the teams that won wanted their hair dyed! So me had lotsa fun! No dress as Shuu-chan? ;_; But I'll take Kenken too! XD Me, Isa-chan and hopefully Rach-chan (cherubkatan) will be going to the BigAppleAnimeFest, NYC this summer (labor day weekend). You should come!! Dress up! ^____^rn(now for the actual review ^^;;) This chapter nearly has me convinced you're the real life Ken. That date was the sweetest thing ever.  I loved the line where you said Cinderella missed out on this Prince Charming *dreamy sigh* Aya-chan was interesting. I'd be doing the same too ^^;; rnThis chapter was so warm and fuzzy yet I was laughing a lot, that's great!rn*showers Windy-kun and Kumakumachan with wuv and strawberry pocky*rnrn(who is 

this manager person?! *fumes* you try to take fun away! BAAAAAD! *runs to get mallet-sama*)rnrn*waves* Baibai~rnkami-chan

That sound really like fun! You dyed your hair then? I'm afraid I may not be able to make it to New York on May 1st. But Chris may be present, I'm not too sure. I know it's Labor's Day, but I've got work to do. (I'm SO officially Brad...) I'm so terribly sorry. I'll try to come next year. No, I'm not the real life Ken. Real life Ken deserves better. (^^;) Man, I sound really masochistic. Cinderella really missed out, I suppose. But it's okay. Her prince is a good guy too. Aya-chan was a sweet girl. Hope she's not pestering her brother now. She's really energetic. But I suppose all you fangirls in this midst are, aren't you? Well, keep it up. People like you make the world cheerful! Oh, and thanks so much for your support and comment. I'm sorry I can't do many XD's or na no das. Please give me some time to get well again?

Yoko-chan Yaaaaaay! Took you long enough to update! *smile smile* These two are so kawaii together, na? *giggles madly* Poor KenKen...pink hair...Ran is so sweet for not minding! *glomps* I luuuurve this, dude! I have writer's block, so Chapter 4 of my story is gonna take a while. *sobs* But that's not the point! Hurry up and write Chapter 4 of this one! Onegaiiiiii? *big chibi eyes* Strawberry pocky and huggles to you, na no da! *gives both* Jaaaa~a! *dances away*

Right, so here's chapter four. I'm sorry it wasn't a good one. But thanks, you've been really a great help, cheering me on like that. That goes for everybody! :D You make me feel better. Sorry I couldn't read or review in a while. I hope I shall be able to soon! Well, take your time to remove that block. Sometimes it just disappears on its own!

LittleIsa EEEE!! All the stuff with the date was so KAWAII!!!! I'm so happy right now I can't stand it!! *bounces around then glomps you* This is all SO very wonderful!! Keep at it!!! Oh, I think I really like nagi and your ma!  *grins* Hope to talk to you soon!! BAI!!!!

*Is hughugged* Thanks, I needed that! Fun to come into the Net again and see reviews and comments and all. Simply uploading is boring. But mail was fine. I hope to hear from you soon as well. Thanks a lot for commenting!

Fuyukaze-Yuki Awww man this's just so sweet....^___________^ I think that Ran here is just so mature, may be looks so perfect...but who cares (Ran would be  so perfect like that if he hadn't forced to become Aya) so I think yess Ran's a great man, KenKen really deserve that ne?! :)

Thanks for reviewing! Yeah, this Ran is very perfect. He's really, really nice. The Ran in the series is wonderful too. One day he'd wake up and smell the roses for a bit. Trust me, he will. Ken deserves good people, doesn't he? :D

CherubKatan ROFL i agree with that girl still purple is a pretty color. and hey I've seen blue with purple streaks before on a guy and he looked damn good... then again i was dating him at the time and got mad at him with dying his hair green afterwards.. and cut it *sniffle* but good chapter very good lol and no problem about the advice ^_^

Wow. Thanks for reviewing again. You must be tired of it, sorry... ^^; Yeah, purple's pretty, but not on me. Say, was the boy you were going out with named Ted? He's got orangey light brown hair and purple streaks in it, and bits of blue. Oversized T-shirt, large blue jeans? That's the last time I saw him anyway. But then, maybe not. His hair's considered short, you know, up to his cheeks. Very pretty. If it really is him, please tell him that Windy says 'hi'. And tell him that I can never imagine him with green hair. So, that all, ah. Thanks so much for everything!

Ayako That was my response to being called evil. ^_^ But pink hair IS a scary thought... I'd like to see a picture of Ken cosplaying as Shuichi.

Are you evil then? ^^; I'm sorry. Anyway, thanks a lot for reviewing. I'll never eat chocolate given by strange old ladies again. Well, as for the picture, why don't you draw us one? I'd like to see it, too!

Rika-chan Nooooo!!! Your endings aren't bad!! They're the best I've ever read! I don't know how you make them so good... ;_; It's like magic... *_* I shouldn't read too many NC-17's? It's bad for my health?? Hontou??? o_O Uso, darou! Evilness is good! ^.^rnAhh...hooray for meddling sisters and friends! ^_~ Hey, maybe Nagi and Aya-chan should be paired up? O_o *cries for Windy* People staring at you... ;_; *hugs* But I'm glad the day ended well for you. By the way, where's the kissu? Did you get one?  Did you?? Did you??? Aa, I'm sure you did. ^__~ And one more thing: _ Hehehe...

Thank you for your compliment. Magical as things may seem, I think it was, well. Okay. ^^; NC-17 is pretty bad for health, I suppose. It's like too much candy. But it's okay. Thanks for feeling sorry for me. :D Helped much! And as for Aya-chan, well, let's just say that we won't be seeing each other anymore. I can't answer to Nagi's liking, now, can I? And no, no kiss. Just a normal good day. :D

From: Fuyukaze-Yuki awwwwwww this is great!! u really made me cuddled back to my Gravitation series again!! ^______________^ Ken with Shu's Hair?! how can't i resisttt!?! :P:P and Nagi as Yuki o_0; well he's much better as Tohma ne?! :P poor Nagi ^_^;rnit's really getting much more fun!! yes may be nagi & aya-chan could be together :)

Well, cuddle up more! It's a good series. We like it. Ken is scary with pink hair, remember that... and so is Nagi with blond hair. He's very good as Tohma because they're alike. Well. I don't know about Nagi and Aya. Ask them, instead.

Idimmu This is such a great story! *glomps much* Ken's ramblings are just too funny, exactly like what goes through my head. It would be interesting to see Ken with pink hair, I should go draw that now... And don't eat your head! Then your brain can't think up more wonderful chapters to this story!

Thank you for reading this fic and reviewing. And thanks for your kind comments as well. Well, please do draw it, and let us all see it! I've already eaten my head and I think it's saved me a lot of trouble! (^^;) But all in all thanks for your concern, it's heartwarming...

fei I am EVIL! I reviewed so late!! *cries and cries* gomen na! *huggles* This is not stupid writing and definitely not a stupid ending! I loved the ending esp. In my heart, it was summer. Lovely! Ran is so sweet in this. And Aya-chan was rather cute. hehehe. I'm glad Ken found his Prince Charming. It's so nice to be able to find someone who would make you feel safe *envious sigh* Anyways, me enjoyed the date. ^^ And there was consumption of ice cream in winter after all huh? Cool! ^__^ Snacking's good. Lunch is sooo over-rated at times. Man I wana donut too now. Dang! Sorry again for the late review. Been really buried in shit. Ewww! And I haven't even replied your mail! I'm so so evil I tell you! Stupid Fei. Go eat your stupid stupid head!! (I'm still loving this. hehehe) Erm...btw, what you wrote me in the review for Ink, is everything ok? Mou...I hope so. *huggles* We'll talk more in the mail ne? take care!!

Thank you for everything, and for taking time to review here. I'm sorry I got tied down so much lately, I'll try to catch up on your fics, and everyone here's, as well... I'm terribly sorry, rough times came, and I'm still trying as hard as I can to bounce back. But I'll be okay, just watch. :D Thanks so much for your concern. I sympathize with you as well. Your job must be very tedious, indeed. ;_; *Hughug* Well, don't eat your head up, we need you to write more fics. Which reminds me, when I saw that field, I kinda... remembered your story. It's beautiful, your Ken was very right. I wish I'd be as lucky as he'd be, somehow I know that he and Ran will come back together. So I wish you all luck! Thanks once again!


	5. Replies to Reviews

Review Replies! XD  
  
Okay, review replying time! Once again, I'm replying here, but if there's a word you wanna chip in on this, please either email me, or let me know that you want and don't mind being disturbed by the annoying Windy. XD  
  
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CherubKatan  
I will say I'm thoroughly disappointed in you and the guy representing Ran... Letting him walk away just because his boss wants him to marry his daughter?! *growls then sighs and coughs* ne... I hope things end up turning out better for you... *glomps him* good luck! and no his name wasn't ted. I doubt you live in california honey cause that's where my ex lived or lives o_O something along those lines anyway. another good luck...and best wishes  
Rach  
Thanks one million for reviewing! I'm so sorry it happened in a way that let all of you down, maybe I should've stalled him, made more drama, screamed at him... but I felt so lost then, I actually acted on impulse, I hadn't thought... Oh, man, I'm SO lame. But it felt so right to let him walk away... I don't understand why. Well, I guess it's simply more complex than this... ;_; I'm sorry. And I'm sorry I couldn't make it this summer. But if I do, I'll let you guys know. I may not be able to dress up, because those eartails might not be long enough yet. ^^; *Hughugs back* I guess it wasn't Ted then. Doesn't live there, and neither do I. XD But it's okay! Good luck too!  
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kami-chan  
simply beautiful ending there to a beautiful story. though I'm really sorry it had to end like that [for you/Ken]. ;_; I guess I can see where Ran's coming from and that's really a shame. I wish it could be the other way. You keep saying he's [Ran's] perfect. But he didn't choose Ken; didn't choose the real love. I really hope that's not what someone perfect does, cuz then I'd just want someone real, ne? *huggles* i liked this story. it's amazing how it really can be deep and simply put all at the same time. amazing. ^___^ thanx for the email. I don't think your RanKen pairings are a failure at all. even if they don't get together, it was a wonderful story and the feelings were apparently there. that's all i need. i really hope to see more work from you. don't deny your readers, ne? ja ne!   
kami-chan  
Hi, thanks for reviewing agan! XD And thanks for your compliment. I was sad at first, but it's okay! I've fully bounced back (well, maybe it WAS too fast), but strangely, maybe I don't wish it was the other way. ^^; He was perfect, in his own way. He could love, and he could care. And that's enough to make him perfect, if not to me, then he is to 'Aya-chan', or his fiancee. I don't know, but I think it really hurts for a girl to have the man she loves go after another boy? Is it not? You could imagine it, you're fangirls, I think that since all of you are so loving, you might just feel that. I'm not his true love. He was my second true love. XD Second. XD Let me let you know, guys do NOT take too kindly in being second, especially when it comes to property. (But since I'll never be submissive to him, err, he's excused of that.) And thanks, you didn't think it was a failure. ;_; It's a blessing to be able to feel, don't we agree? I won't deny friends. XD I'll try to cook something lighter for RanKen, maybe a humor ficcie. :D  
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Rika-chan  
Hmmm...you sat down and typed all this up on the spot? O.o ...... ;__; ...... I never thought it'd end so soon -- or this way. (Damn, we must've jinxed you somehow! *kicks self and bangs head against the wall repeatedly* @__@ Wait, it's Bad Luck's fault. *hunts down BL to punish them severely* ^^ ) Don't blame yourself. In this case, the circumstances were out of your control. ;_; *sighs heavily* At least Ran had the decency to break things to you the way he did. *hugs Windy* You're not alone... *gets up and dances with Windy* (And the way you acted with those smiles and laughs is more like Omi. So, I guess there -was- something to those quizzes. ^^;;; ) * Note to Omi: Do more detailed background checks before you set other people up. ~_~ Hmm, maybe Ichigo Burondo would be nice enough to follow through on his offer...  
Hellos again and thanks for reviewing! I'm STILL waiting for -somebody- to finish a certain Hiro x Ryuichi ficcie. XD *Stops breathing - lungs pop out and blood splatters everywhere* Eww, gory. *Wipes up blood and lungs* Heeey, don't bash yourself, na no da! ;_; You guys didn't jinx me! Well, maybe it was Sakano! *Glares at Sakano* (Sakano SB: Aiiiiyehgh! *Hangs self*) HOO HAA HA HA! XD *Dances stupidly* Oh, now that you mentioned 'Omi', man, you don't know how distraught he was, he was totally babbling about how dumb he was, how terrible he felt, how this, and how that for three straight hours, and it took me a lot of tactful pleading, squishes and tea to make him stop. Then there was my ex, who said that he when he ever caught 'Ran', he was going to twist his neck, pull it into two, stomp on him until his bones crack and check this one out - "F***ing gorge his g*dd*mn eyes out with a pencil and f***ing hurl them into f***ing hell". Man, he sure was violent. *Sweatdrop* I went home really late that day...  
Ichigo Burondo? Oh, yeah, strangely, I remembered him a day after the affair. But I don't want to approach him, I don't want to make him my emotional baggage, it's not fair for him, y'know? So, sorry? I can't... not now? He may be so nice, but what will people say? It's mean of me to use him. At least, that's what I think.  
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LittleIsa  
*sighs and cuddles you* I don't really know what to say, kinda a bitter sweet ending, ne? *cuddles* Very well written, though heartbreaking...I'll email you soon sweetie! *UBBER GLOMPS* =^___^=  
*Hughugs back* You're really here always too, for me, y'know? Thanks for the feedback! Yeah, it sure was sad, heartbreaking, but worth it. Yup. At least I learnt to make drinkable coffee. ^^; Thanks for emailing. I mean, take your time too, and don't forget to send a message when there's Kai! XD  
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Melcena  
Mou. Unhappiness! Oh, well. XD It's a bit confusing, but I rather like your Ken-voice :)  
It was, wasn't it? ^^; Thanks for reviewing, and rading. Sorry I confused you... ;_; But thanks, I like Ken a lot too! He's such a great guy! XD  
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fei  
*hugs you for a long long long time* I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wish I could offer you an alternative ending. I wish I could write one for you. You will be ok ne? Is there anything I can do? I was trying hard not to tear as I read this. I could feel the quiet sadness that is so poignant it just overwhelms. It would seem weird to comment on your writing at this point. But your emotions really came through your words. Simple and beautiful. It is not up to me to say whether things could have been done differently or not. Sometimes life throws us in situations that demands that while we answer the call of one thing that's important, we somehow end up losing another. Who is to say which choice should have been the right one?  
Thanks for reviewing! It's long but every word is meaningful, I really appreciate it. You even commented on writing skill! o_0 You're THE reviewer people mention about, aren't you? You know, some reviewers are professionals. They mean what they say, and at the same time, can trace grammar, sentences ad stuff! But thanks for your compliments, and believe me, I was anything but quiet at Chris'. Might have even woken up his goldfish buried in his backyard, I think! XD Really??? I wrote okay?? Okay, I know I should be less hyper, but I know that hyperness can cure a heartache, and fast. I'm applying it now, na no da! ^^;;  
  
"Probably if I'd thought more, things wouldn't have fallen so badly, huh?" No. You did what you thought was right at the time. And somehow, no matter how much you think or plan, you never can plan enough for life and fate. *sad chuckle* You just have to goon and not wallow in regret, at least not too much. But never forget that life also will give you pleasant surprises. Keep that chin up and your eyes open for them ne?  
I sure will! Thanks for reassuring me that doing that was okay. I thought that it might have been different, but maybe, it should've been this way. Imagine, if this game continued, if I'd actually *married* him and ended that story, it might have lasted for forty chapters or so. *Shudders* Now that's scary!  
  
"After all, they brought us up, cried for us, and worked for us, didn't they?" You have a good heart and you should be proud. *hugs* But Windy-kun, sometimes one has to think of oneself and strive for one's own happiness too ne?  
;_; Aww, well, then, we both have good hearts, and we should be proud. I'd been antagonizing my father for some time before, especially when I was seeing 'Schu', and sadly, I'd done the worst when I'd given up something special to him. Likewise, he still forgave me, he accepted the fact. It's good like that. My heart isn't that good after all. ^^;  
  
"Was this the bitter smile I'd always read and written about?" *cries* I want to cry with you yet shake you. I want to punch Ran yet pity him. In other words, other than feeling frustrated and sad and wanting to scream at the world I dunno wat to do. Thanks for remembering my story when you saw the field. I'm just happy you did not copy the way my Ken did when he was at the field. This review is getting long and it probably sounds nonsensical doesn't it? Remember my offer in the email. It still stands. And as you promised in your reply to my prev review, I'll be watching. Take care of yourself. (This is an order. Not a request) *smiles and hugssssssssss*  
Like I mentioned, I remember exactly what your KenKen did, and yes, I did think about doing it. Err, for a moment. I didn't have a handcuff with me either. And I wanna die wrinkled with age. XD Well, don't feel so sad for me! It's not your fault, it was mine! I don't like seeing people sad on my account. Never! *Hughugs* Well, now that I've bounced back, what do you think?? I'm a very good bouncer, aren't I? Anyway, *hughugs back* I'll be okay! XD  
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** Speaking of bouncers, I remember that I once had a friend, he was always telling me, "HEY! You were supposed to come here at eight! You're 0:00:05 late!" and he carried a watch as large as a tank around. Moru, yeah, they used to call him that. Some people just called him M. Being evil, I called him 'Mamo-chan' and everyone teased us that we were 'having a secret love afair in the closet'. Weird guy, but cool, funky and lovable. But what really made me remember him was that time when he gave a kid without an ID and having a particularly bad attitude such a talking-to that he was reduced to a whimpering puddle. He was fantastic, for a Japanese techno freak. Spoke street english like a typical New Yorker, but he had his Asian mix-ups. His 'Your Papa-san''s really had us cracking up! XD I don't recall how the whole thing went, but here is a part that I treasure:  
  
IDless Kid: What are you talking about? I !@#$ing don't need to lug that piece or crap with me, and hell are you to judge whether I'm old enough or not to enter some second rate bar just by my face! I'm mature enough, chink!  
Mamo-chan: Your Papa-san! I'll tell you whether you're old or not old, because I'm in charge! You can be seventy, wrinkled in your doogdoogs, and if you don't have brought your no good ID, I can tell the world that you're five, and that woman over there is your mom!  
IDless Kid: He's guy, you fag!  
Mamo-chan: Oh, yeah? Your Papa-san! Does a guy who's over twenty have such a girly face? I've been to San Francisco and no fag I've ever seen there has a girly face like that!  
  
Yeah, 'Your Papa-san' was a speech disorder, especially when he retorts. Now, what am I rambling about again? Sorry!  
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Nashi  
*shocked and completely speechless*.......................*5 mins pass* oh...my...gosh........i cant believe you ended it like this............poor kenken......I cant believe it...... it's a beautiful ending...but still........*still shocked*......it's still a really good story, but i just didn't think it would end like that.....aww....kenken.........heart broken again....  
... Neither did I. I'm sorry, and thanks so much for reading and reviewing. I didn't think it'd end like that either, I don't really like it, but hey, it's life. ;_; But thanks, you said it was a good story??? ^^;;; I always thought it was.... a weird one... XD  
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olivia-yuymaxwell  
Goshhhh!! never thought u ended up like this aww Ken2 were cryin again poor ken2 ______  
Hey, thanks for reviewing. Yeah, poor Ken, huh? I never thought it too, that's a fact, 0_o Hmm, I'd like to make stuff happier, but... ;_; I caaaaaaan't!  
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Carter Tachikawa   
I am sad! I reviewed this so late! Gomen nasai! I guess I'll review here seeing that the next chapter is replies to reviews only. I like this story so far. I love all the Gravi references. (Na no da!) And I love the whole Ken/Barbie references too. (Funny, Ken looks a lot like a Ken doll in Gluhen to me...just not a blonde) Can't wait to see more RanKen. Normally, I prefer Omi with Nagi rather than Schu but it's okay with me. I'm still liking the story. Okay, that's enough from me. Thanks for your review. keep writing. Ja ne!   
~CT  
Thanks one million for reading and reviewing! Ken's pretty as a Ken doll, y'know! XD I know, it's evil to say this, but I can't help thinking now how Ken keeps looking like a doll! Na no da was a really bad speech disorder when you have to speak professionally and not freak others out, but I liked it! Would Ken be really nice as a blond? 0_o I dyed my hair blond once, I liked it a lot! Omi is usually paired with Nagi, I guess. ^^; It just proves how weird I am. But thanks for not minding my weird review. ;_;  
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MooMooMilk  
Oh whoa. Are you sure you can't write another ending? I mean, the one you wrote was very good, but...I just want to see Ken happy for once. Your story was one of the few that I really followed, and I loved it. I feel really bad for Ken though. I'm not asking you to write a sequel (though that would be *really* nice), but maybe an alternate ending would be really good. And if you don't...I want to read more Ranken fics by you anyway. You are a fantastic author, and I hope that you write something new soon.^_^  
Ohhh! Thanks one million for reading and reviewing! Thanks for thinking it's okay! ;_; Unfortunately, I can't think of an alternate ending for poor Ken-san-sama. I wish I could... but I just, you know, I can't really think of what could have been between us. But I might consider new funnier ficcies. ^^;;;; Thanks for taking time to read poor stupid Windy's stuff. Me no fantastic. *Eats stupid head* Oh, I checked your bio, but sadly, I don't know any of the series you write, please forgive me! ;_; When you do WK, I'll read! (and review)  
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Shinigami  
An alternate ending would be giving Ken someone else. Or having Ran turn into Aya.  
Hey, thanks for reading and reviewing. *Sweatdrops* Umm, turning Ran into Aya? You mean like, making him... cold? o_0 Ken will find someone else... in another person's fic. Right now, Ken's single. All the better for us, right?  
C'MON! ;_; He's out for grabs! *Hangs Ken at edge of fishing line*  
  
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